


Blooming Hermione

by Tiche



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 03:59:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16926081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tiche/pseuds/Tiche
Summary: Just a little fic that entered my head, not quite sure where it's going and/or how long it will be, but it sure is flowing.Title is a bit of a play on words, Hermione will certainly be blooming from an innocent little witch to a more confident and ambitious woman, and she is also so innocent that people have to hit her with a stick to get there. Bloomin' Hermione.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy this.

Hermione sighed and placed her quill down. It had been a long day of non-stop marking and she was getting a headache. Her fingers reached up to massage her temples as the quiet buzz of the Hogwarts staff room continued around her. Flitwick was muttering to himself and waving his hand in intricate patterns, ribbons of frost coming into being at his call and twirling in the air.

_It was almost Christmas._

The thought hit her as she was watching the mesmerizing dance of the magic. Flitwick was always eager to find new, beautiful ways to decorate the castle at Christmas. She honestly didn’t know where the last semester had gone, Halloween did not seem that long ago. Hermione frowned and started to pack up her books and parchment. A nice hot bath before dinner, that would freshen her up.

An hour later Hermione exited her private chambers, hair damp and pulled back into a loose braid, and headed towards the great hall. She was carrying with her the latest edition of Hogwarts: A History, recently updated and expanded, covering all aspects that had been discovered up to, and during, her time in Hogwarts. Or most of it, anyway. Best not to mention the hidden chamber discovered in her second year, it was probably best kept hidden. Although, she did wonder what had happened to the Basilisk skeleton. Was it left to sit and rot, or was it removed? Banished to the depths of… well, where ever things got banished to. She was deep in her pondering as she automatically walked into the great hall and took her seat at the high table, many years of repeatedly doing so making the act little more than muscle memory at this point.

Hermione placed her book down and pulled some food towards her, ready to dig in and satiate her appetite when she heard a rumbling cough coming from her left, trying to gain her attention. She turned her head, the fork that was half-way towards her mouth hovering in front of her.

Severus Snape, Headmaster of Hogwarts, most esteemed potions master, Order of Merlin First Class, war hero, nightmare of her school years, and the current throb of her heart, was looking at her, fist gently held in front of his mouth, waiting for her attention.

“Oh! I’m Sorry, sir. Can I help you with something?” she asked politely, putting her fork down and hoping she seemed more nonchalant than she felt. Her heart must have thought she had just run a marathon, since it was beating so fast.

“I have some news that I wish to share, however, given its… personal nature,” Severus said, voice little more than a deep, rumbling mumble.

Hermione huffed out a breath, her heart skipping a beat at the sound of his lovely baritone.

“I understand, would my rooms be more suitable, or would you prefer yours?” she innocently asked and then turning a shade of mottled red at Severus’ raised eyebrow.

“It may be more apt to meet at my office, 8pm” he replied, his eyebrow the only change in his otherwise normal, dark and scary looking outward appearance.

She winced, “Yes, I’m sorry. Your office at 8, my apologies for my poor choice or words”. She knew better, or she was insane because she thought that she did.

Severus Snape, having achieved his purpose, rose from the table and strode out of the hall, long legs bearing him with a confident grace, and his characteristic dark robes billowing around his frame.

* * *

 

It was 7.45pm, and Hermione was early. She was too eager. Her silly school girl crush on the headmaster… _former teacher_ , her mind supplied. Well, it was just not acceptable. She had to cut it out, beat it down, ignore it.

Hermione paced in front of the gargoyle guarding the door to the headmaster’s office, trying to work out some of the butterflies in her tummy. She shouldn’t really be nervous, this would be about a student, or some school event he wanted her to chaperone. Nothing to do with her personally.

She was too engrossed in her mind that she missed the soft padding of feet heading towards her, and only realized that the headmaster was not already inside his office when she paced smack-bang into his long lean frame. His hands shot out and grabbed her waist in a firm, steady grip to stop her from stumbling over. She gasped, and covered her face with her hands, absolutely mortified.

They must have stood there for minutes, but it felt like an eternity before Hermione finally peeped out from behind her fingers. She saw Severus standing just inches away from her, eyes closed and a pinched face, breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth.

“I’m so sorry!” she whispered. Why did she have to be so clumsy?

“That is quite alright. Although some pre-warning that I would still have to save one of the famed golden-trio from getting themselves accidently killed, years after the war ended, would have been nice before I employed her.”

Hermione stiffened, pulling away and stepping back a few paces, causing Severus to open his eyes.

“If you will, Miss Granger.” He said, holding out a hand to the gargoyle, who jumped up from his post, allowing the entrance to the staircase to be revealed.

Hermione, always the level-headed academic, pushed down her mortified and humiliated feelings and stepped onto the staircase. It was only when she was almost at the top, that she realized that Severus was not following behind her, and that he had only let go of her hips when she had stepped out of his reach.


	2. Chapter 2

She was unsure of what to do. Here she was, in his office like he asked, but alone. Not quite what she had imagined when he had asked her to meet him, but then again… her imagination always did run wild. She did not want to sit in the lone chair placed in front of the mahogany desk, her stomach was much too full of pixies for that. So instead, she wandered over to the vast bookcase that spanned from ceiling to floor, and that is where he found her.

He had taken a moment to compose himself, the war had not been kind to him. It had not allowed pleasures of the flesh, or companionship. Her closeness had almost undone him, almost too tantalizing for him to resist. So, he had stood at the bottom of his office staircase and recited his recent recipe for an improved Skelegrow potion. Horrible thing - terribly constructed - and he had managed to better it. Once he was calmer and more composed, he took the staircase one step at a time.

The first thing he noticed was her fingers. They ghosted across the spines of his books, his most prized possessions, as if they were delicate and breakable. Something to be prized. Which they most certainly were, but it seemed he was occasionally quite single-minded about his fondness and respect for books sometimes. He stood in the doorway to his office and stared, watching the emotions flicker across her face as she read title after title, her mouth moving as she mouthed the names to herself.

She was beautiful. Took his breath away. Though he knew that she would never consider a suiter such as himself. He who mentally abused and tortured her and her closest friends during their entire school life. A frown had fallen on his face, and he decided that he had done enough wallowing in self-pity.

“Miss Granger,” he announced, “please sit.”

She was clearly expecting him, but he still made her jump out of her skin. Skitterish thing that she was. It brought a brief smile to his face, no more than a quick quirk of his lips as she turned and sat in the chair by his desk.

He followed, sitting in his own chair and steepled his hands in front of him.

“It has recently come to my attention that there is a muggle-born witch who is in desperate need of a mentor.” He started, finding her gaze and putting his business face on. “She has not had the easiest of home-life, and as such this matter should be dealt with… delicately.”

Hermione was intrigued, but her home life had been wonderful. She did not understand why he had brought this to her, when Harry would have been a much more suitable choice. She said as much to him.

“Yes, I did consider Mr. Potter. Though that is where the delicate nature of this matter comes into play. Her background does not allow her to be in good health whilst around the male gender. You, whilst not having had a difficult upbringing, have still experienced it through a close friend. I believe this would help in this situation”

“I will not pry, but how will this work sir?” she questioned, aware that he was omitting details for an obvious reason. “The school is hardly segregated into separate genders, she will encounter more than a fair share of males.”

“She will have her own quarters, and her own, small wing of the castle. It was previously the medical wing but has sat empty since we required it expanded and updated, well before your school years. It has been transformed into adequate rooms for her study and private life.” He drawled, still looking at her and seeing the urge to question everything written all over her face and admiring her restraint.

“Of course, and what will my role be?” Her fingers were clutched tightly together in her lap to suppress her urges to blurt out 100 questions at once. She was aware that the man sitting before her would not appreciate that.

“You will merely be there. A guardian of sorts, for her to be comfortable around and to trust. She has not had that opportunity before, and it may be difficult for her at first.”

Hermione’s heart was doing double time. That Severus Snape would come to her, to find comfort and solace for a child that clearly had a dark past… Surely that meant that he did not feel as lack-luster towards her as he showed.

“I will do my absolute best sir, but may I ask? What is her name?” she asked, voice quiet. She was already deeply determined to make things right with this little witch she had yet to meet. Too much injustice had happened in her life-time and if she could help someone to recover from theirs, then that was certainly worth her time.

Severus saw several emotions flicker over Miss Grangers’ – _Hermione’s_ , his mind supplied – face.

“Her name is Daisy. You will meet tomorrow, but for now I suggest retiring for the night. It is late.”

She took that as her dismissal from his office and stood, hesitantly pushing the chair back to the desk. “Thank you, Sir, for trusting me with this delicate issue.”

She wanted to ensure he knew that she would do her best and appreciated his offer to allow her to redeem some of her own War wounds by helping others.

“Severus, please. We are colleagues, and perhaps one day… friends. You are doing me a great favor by agreeing to this, my given name is yours to use freely.” She blushed, and mumbled her goodnight, leaving the office with the tingling feeling of eyes on her back, watching her retreat.

Severus relaxed into his chair, his eyes following Hermione's almost reluctant retreat of his office. He stretched out his long legs, half disappearing under his desk and allowed his mind to wander.


End file.
